The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Second Lieutenant (Infantry) Calvin Denton Richards, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Verdun, France, 9 October 1918. While defending a hill, Lieutenant Richards, with seven machine-gunners, beat off an enemy attack of greatly superior numbers, after a hand-to-hand encounter with pistols and grenades. Although his small force suffered four casualties, he still continued to defend the hill, an important tactical point for his division.